assistance she was
hastening; and her crew had a nearer and more distinct view of the
horrible details of the catastrophe than we had.

They paused for a moment on their oars as though paralysed with horror;
and then with a vengeful shout gave way more energetically than before.

But I felt little apprehension on their account; the dying breeze had
revived somewhat, and the _Lily_ was now stealing along, though with
scarcely a ripple at her sharp bows, about five knots; and the water
looked rather darker to windward, as though the wind was inclined to
come still stronger.

The pirates tugged at their oars with might and main, passing within
oar's length of the wreck of the first boat, when they again raised a
furious yell, straining away at their stout ash blades until they made
them bend like willow wands.

They gained on us considerably within the first ten minutes or quarter
of an hour; and I saw some of the crew preparing to fire the gun which
was mounted in the boat's bows. Judging that more powder would have to
be burned after all, I once more loaded our little piece, charging with
shell as before; and whilst I was doing this our pursuers opened fire
upon us.

They miscalculated their distance, however, or the powers of their gun;
for the shot fell considerably short of us, much to Bob's delight, to
which he gave expression by the utterance of a few remarks of such
biting sarcasm and raillery that they would infallibly have still
further incensed the individuals to whom they were addressed could they
but have heard them.

I too was _very_ glad to see the shot fall short, for it placed us on
somewhat more equal terms than I had dared to hope. The boat was a
large one, probably their launch, and pulled ten oars; and there were
three men in the bows working the gun, and the coxswain aft steering,
making altogether fourteen hands--very heavy odds.

But then, on the other hand, the boat was heavy, and her crew, after
their already long pull, could not maintain the violent exertions they
were now putting forth very much longer; and a very trifling abatement
in that direction would enable us to slip away from them after all; and,
moreover, as they were now within range of our gun (which, being rifled,
threw a shot much farther than their smooth-bore), there was a
possibility of our being able so far to disable them as to compel them
to give up the chase.

I accordingly levelled the breech-loader, and then wa